Our Stories

very old car in black and white

William James “Bill” Neal: Richmond Hill’s First Mayor and Automotive Visionary

1897–1979 Elgin Mills Cemetery Section 8 Lot 74 William James Neal, born in Vaughan Township to James Neal and Maria Louisa Agar, grew up in rural
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grass, trees and boulders

Natural Burial: A Greener Way to Say Goodbye

Tim Horton wearing a vintage Toronto Maple Leafs jersey poses in front of a solid blue background. The player is shown from the waist up, dressed in a blue sweater with a large white maple leaf logo and lace-up collar.

Tim Horton: Hockey Legend and Coffee Icon

The Esso Great Hall is a vast 70‑by‑70‑foot space crowned by a 45‑foot stained‑glass dome—the largest of its kind in Toronto. The dome’s 24 panels show symbolic dragons and eagles, surrounded by fruit and floral motifs, with central emblems representing Canada and its original provinces.

Joseph McCausland: The Man Behind Toronto’s Most Iconic Windows

Historic postcard view of Chalmers Presbyterian Church and Sunday School in Toronto, showing a large Romanesque‑style brick church with arched windows, a central tower, and corner turrets. Overhead utility wires cross the scene, and handwritten postcard notes appear along the top and right margins.

Chalmers York Town Line Church: A Lost Cemetery Remembered

Autumn landscape showing a large silver maple tree with yellow and brown leaves dusted by fresh snow, standing in an open grassy park. Fallen leaves scatter across the snow‑covered ground, with additional trees and open space visible in the background.

The Earlscourt Silver Maple: A Living Memorial

a house in the snow surrounded by trees

Michael Shepard House: York Cemetery’s Hidden Heritage Gem

people at the park

Peter Lamb: From Glue to Zoo to Riverdale Farm

old building in black and white

Leonard Pears: Building Toronto’s Yellow Brick Road

Interior view of a Jack Fraser department store showing long display tables stacked with folded clothing, sales signs hanging above the aisles, and staff standing behind counters under bright ceiling lights.

Jack Fraser: A Toronto Retail Icon

Snow‑covered cemetery scene at dusk featuring a tall stone grave marker in the foreground commemorating James Aikins. The monument is topped with a rounded cap and surrounded by evergreen trees and bare branches, with additional headstones visible along a snow‑covered path in winter light.

James C. Aikins: Statesman, Visionary and Guardian of Toronto’s Cemeteries

Portrait of Corporal Ainsworth Dyer in military uniform, wearing a maroon beret and standing in front of flags, photographed from the chest up.

Corporal Ainsworth Dyer: A Life of Service and Sacrifice

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Kiriakos “Jerry” Kiriakou: Building a Scarborough Institution

very old bus

John Hollinger: East York’s Transit Pioneer

Stone mausoleum with steps, arched windows, and a statue on top, surrounded by trees and gravestones.

Massey Mausoleum: A Monument to Industry and Legacy

semi detached house

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna: The Last Grand Duchess of Imperial Russia

A vintage studio portrait of Frederick Banting wearing a dark three‑piece suit with a collared shirt and striped tie. The subject is posed against a softly lit, neutral background, creating a classic early‑20th‑century photographic style.

Sir Frederick Banting: The Doctor Who Gave Life to Millions

big wheat field

From Farm to Cemetery: The Gummerson Story

A black and white aerial image of Brampton, taken in 1954. A railroad line can be seen stretching from the middle left edge of the frame to the bottom left corner. In the middle of the frame, there is a concentration of houses and buildings, the landscape dotted with clusters of trees.

Frank Kovalsky: The Commander

mother feeding her kids cod liver oil

Marion and Wally Johnston: A Partnership in Science and Service

big grave that says Rogers

Edward Samuel Rogers: Revolutionizing Radio